Now I want you to take a deep breath at this point, because you’re about the get a sick feeling in your stomach. That feeling of utter hopelessness. And it’s going to come in shock waves, one after the other, over and over.

[You might want to stop reading at this point.]

Tsunami Wave #1.

And on Dell’s Ideastorm Web site, a staggering 41,210 users agreed with the thread, “Sell Linux PCs Worldwide — not only the United States”.

On another thread, 6,410 users agreed with the statement, “Make Dell Ubuntu PCs available to businesses and non-profits”.

They can’t even get the basic facts right…

When you vote on Dell’s IdeaStorm, your vote increases the total count by 10 points.

The reported figures so eminently talked about since day 1 are off by a factor of 10. That’s for every reported 10,000 users, only 1,000 votes were cast.

But don’t just stop there… Take into consideration that you get to register with a made up user name and password immediately, with no email confirmation or validation. You don’t even leave the page (thanks to JavaScript).

Log out, re-register again under the same exact IP address, and you get to vote once more, over and over.

The reported 100,000 users that started this mess in the first place on IdeaStorm, are at best 10,000 strong — assuming no manipulation was involved.

Not that the people doing the actual voting have any intention of getting a Ubuntu DELL anyways…

[While this quote is a joke, it sums up things quite nicely.]

I voted multiple times for Ubuntu on Dell’s ideaStorm so that others can have the opportunity to purchase it. As an Ubuntu advocate, I’ve done my part. It’s time for the consumers to do their part. Don’t blame me if consumers are too stupid to know what is best for them.

Tsunami Wave #2.

Dell has no intention of delivering Linux to the home user.

OEMs like Dell have razor thin margins. They live and die by the volume discounts, co-marketing funds, “Desktop Real Estate”, and leads provided by Microsoft.

The Ubuntu systems that Dell sells are nothing more than a type of a loss-leader designed to show the consumer that they are getting a better deal when buying the Windows counter-part… More features to select from, better promotions/deals, better components/upgrades, and sometimes cheaper upgrades.

If you’re part of the vast digg.com crowd that believes the US government perpetrated the 9/11 attacks, you’re probably also the type to believe that Dell will jeopardize its Microsoft relationship, and face the consequences, to sell an expected 20,000 Ubuntu systems [at a loss].

What’s Dell’s incentive here?… To generate publicity to further sell Windows Licenses and provide Microsoft with facts and figures to use in future campaigns.

More OEMs are cashing in on this profitable tactic every day.

Tsunami Wave #3.

By *pushing* Linux upon users that have no need for it, you are setting yourself up for failure.

The Microsoft Windows installed base is soon to cross the 1 Billion mark.

That user-base is very diverse: with different cultures, languages, and processes. Take into account everything Microsoft has had to work through by catering to everyones needs. Major roadblocks have been overcome. And what has Linux been put through on the Desktop? Relatively speaking… absolutely nothing.

Linux does not have a secret formula that makes it immune to growing pains. Switch the market share between Windows and Linux, and Linux will be downright unusable. From viruses, to backward compatibility issues, to UI problems, to everything else.

Let me state it one more time since it’s a point never mentioned: With an increasing market share, Linux will have the same exact growing pains and problems as Microsoft did and currently has.

Not to even mention that you are now catering to a mass that thinks the CD tray is a cup holder and the mouse is a foot pedal.

“Windows Vista has probably created the single biggest opportunity for the Linux desktop to take market share…”

How ofter do I hear this delusional statement in all it’s variations.

Vista has problems. So did Windows XP. As did Windows 2000. And 98, 95, 3.1. There _is_ a pattern here. Its called SP1 [Service Pack 1]. After which every version mentioned took off.

The saying goes: if your first version is not horribly broken, you’ve waited too long to release it.

The current release of Vista has allowed Microsoft to get feedback from a very diverse user-base. Feedback that is priceless, that cannot be had any other way. How else is progress made?

You don’t raise your child in a plastic bubble.

History repeats itself, and just as Linux has not been able to make it to the Desktop since the promised year 2000, Windows users are also not migrating to Linux pastures in mythical herds. If anything, XP sales are up and Microsoft is readying to sell millions of Vista Licenses, of which an estimated 6 million are being sold each month.

if dell or any other manufacturer ever want to sell me a computer they will remove all microsoft intellectual property from it including the windows logo on the keyboard. i will NOT buy another microsoft computer. i demand GNU/Linux.

No one said Linux or Ubuntu was going to take over the world… or even displace MS as the most used OS.
But if Linux gets more publicity at least more people will realise that there are choices and some of those people may stick with Linux.

And basically you’ve condoned that it’s ok for some corporate to release “beta” software to the masses… and you’re willing to pay for it.

Sham? Perhaps… but large companies like Dell are out to make money. I don’t think that they’d back something just to appease a few thousand Linux fans. They wouldn’t invest (hundreds of ?) thousands if they didn’t think they would get some return..

But you know what.. even if it is all a sham.. more people would have heard of linux and some more would have stuck with it. Those people that tried and didn’t like it.. fine.. it doesn’t suit them.

well, the people that know about Linux and use it aren’t going to get “driven to windows” based on some reports… so the only people that will go there are those that are ignorant of Linux in the first place, and we’ll be in the same situation we are in now..

People that know the difference will use Linux, and the rest will use MS.

“..Switch the market share between Windows and Linux, and Linux will be downright unusable…”

That’s underestimating a lot of things. When you say this you may be right if it were to hit them like a piano falling from the 13th floor, but it doesn’t happen this way. It didn’t for Microsoft and it won’t for Linux.

Linux will adapt to the market changes just as Microsoft has adapted over the years.

Linux could not get a PC maker to sell their hardware with Linux pre-installed so they’ve made it easy to download, burn, install, partition and do everything you need to (or don’t,.. if you use a LiveCD) because they didn’t have the luxury of some IT professional putting it on the machine.

Most of the people that I know using Linux only use it because I installed it for them. Other than that I don’t have to do anything, it is just that 99.5% of computer users will stick with the operating system that they are given. So if a flavor of Linux isn’t factory installed on Desktop machines then there is no hope of ever getting a larger market share.

Why do I want a larger market share for Linux I hear you say, well because it will my life a lot easier (as an exclusive Ubuntu user). I will be able to install the software of my choice (proprietary or not) and use the peripherals of choice, all without any more hassle than Windows users current enjoy.

I only voted once (because I didn’t want to skew the stats). I know I am probably the minority here, but I can also tell you that the moment the 14″ Dell is available with Ubuntu in the UK I am going to be buying it (I have the money burning a hole in my bank right now). So that is one sale, also looking at the Linux web usage stats and various other indicators, I would guess that these Ubuntu systems are actually selling quite well. Don’t forget there are lots of people that didn’t even know about ideastorm, but will buy an open source operating system with some credibility none the less.

I mostly agree with you. The only point that I flat-out disagree with is that Vista is driving away long time Windows users such as myself. My Dell laptop is currently dual-booting XP and Kubuntu. I still spend most of my time in XP, but am slowly learning to use Kubuntu. I’ve been using Windows since the 3.0 days, but only started messing around, on non-work computers with Unix based systems in the last year. I started learning Kubuntu, because I determined that the DRM inspired restrictions on direct control of devices and media in Vista would not be compatible with my current work-style. The intent is to, rather than switch to Vista in a few years, retain XP as a legacy platform, and switch to Kubuntu having slowly learned to use it over the next few years.

So far, I’ve found Kubuntu to be a disorienting mixture of the incredibly polished, and the amazingly irritating.

*Package management for several different levels of user-sophistication.

*Basic software packages, while often lacking in specific features, are very usable.

Irritating:

*Odd assumptions built into some of the hardware support: For example, touch-pad tapping is turned on by default (WTF?). 3rd-party utilities that turn this off can be installed, but need to be reset every time you log on… I wrote a script that automates this, but this a cludgy way to bypass the fact that the setting has no memory. Likewise, any windows user with any degree of sophistication has long ago stopped using FAT32 for anything. However, NTFS support is not presnt by default, and even then NTFS drives must be manually mounted each time you boot. Again, this solvable by overlaying user scripts to automate what should have been a default, or at least only required manually setting once. However, issues like this shouldn’t even exist.

*Lack of a really sophisticated graphical file manager. It is clear that reliance upon command-line has atrophied the development of powerful graphical file managers in the Linux world. Dual-Plane-Norton-Commander-like file managers, such as Krusader, are 7-10 years behind the times within the Windows world… they represent the *minimum* functionality, but seem to be the apex of graphical file managers interfaces in Kubuntu. Everything is designed to push you toward the command line for anything remotely complex. I don’t have a problem with the command-line per-se, but generally disapprove of the System trying to tell the User how to work instead of the other way round.

*Lack of standard media codecs installed by default. I did a little reading, and as far as I can tell, this is because of a vestigial, semi-religious, distaste for anything that could be considered ‘commercial software’.

It’s almost as if the push to make k/ubuntu more friendly to basic windows users makes it more difficult for more sophisticated windows users to adopt it. All of this is actually very reminiscent of the growing pains that Windows went through about a decade ago, you suggest.

The only point that I flat-out disagree with is that Vista is driving away long time Windows users such as myself.

I don’t doubt for a second that your needs are served by Linux, and that you can/will/have migrated over…

But most of the readers here come from pro-Linux news sites, so we are not exactly getting a clear view of the situation.

I’m sure that for every person that tried desktop Linux and switched over, there are many more who had the opposite reaction. I don’t have the numbers, just my personal experience with dealing with Linux for a decade now.

OSX is for users who do not want to know why their PC works
Linux is for users who want to know why their PC works
DOS is for users who want to know why their PC does not work
Windows is for users who do not want to know why their PC does not work

The part of your missive that you failed to consider is ROI. That has two factors:

1) Part of M$ success has been the ability to FUD, price slam a stock or flat buy out the competitor. Linux is the competitor that M$ fears the most as none of those tactics work.

2) The use of Linux within Corporations is steadily increasing. Penetration in the back office/ data center is moderate and climbing. Several deals have been inked by HP for Linux based workstations. As the backend costs are compared for a M$ based box vs a linux based box this trend will break out into the cubicle space. Once that occurs it will break into the home space even more as people want to keep up with what’s going on a work.

Linux may never garner more than 25% of the desktop space. But if we get that far I would be damn happy.

“Vista has problems. So did Windows XP. As did Windows 2000. And 98, 95, 3.1. There _is_ a pattern here. Its called SP1 [Service Pack 1]. After which every version mentioned took off.”

While I agree that does generally happen. Vista does require alot of memory (not sure if its as comparable as a 2000 to XP leap however). Microsoft is pushing to put Vista on every PC sold. Even those that don’t have great specs (say 512 MBs of RAM).

Even with 1 GB of RAM Vista comes uncomfortably close to the limit once I open up the three programs (a browser, Thunderbird, and Pidgin). That’s with all the other stuff Windows runs (its sidebar for example) Say a user uses internet email (and checks from there). Ok they don’t need Thunderbird. But Pidgin, well I use it to chat on different networks. So you could probably find a lower memory usage one (say Trillian). But if your on multiple connections your going need to use both say AIM and MSN messenger. Luckily my laptop came with 2 GBs of RAM.

Even with 1 GB of RAM Vista comes uncomfortably close to the limit once I open up the three programs…

Are you talking about Vista allocating ram or the system paging/thrashing?

Because there is a world of difference between the two. The former is good practice by the OS, the latter is a serious performance hit.

Somehow I think you meant the former. In which case there is nothing wrong with it and Linux does the same. Perhaps not to your specific example, but certainly by design.

An OS allocates everything to ram for performance, even the things it does not need/use [often]. As something else comes and requires ram, the OS simply copies out the memory thats taken up for the useless things to the hard drive. Not allocating full ram is unwise on current systems. Maybe that was different 6-10 years ago.

I mean actually using the RAM up (not prefetching). It comes close to starting to use the pagefile. If I were running Vista on my desktop (it only has 1 GB of RAM) had those 3 programs running, and then open something up (Say OpenOffice Writer or Microsoft Word) It’d start using the pagefile.

Take into account the following. Computer user base is growing worldwide by tenfold, users are more capable nowdays than they were years ago. Its a fact that kids who played video games know that a cd tray is not a cup holder.

One of Microsoft’s top priority is to sell licenses, quite expensive by the way when you can get something that works faster for $0.
Mass consumers tend to pick the least expensive offer, and that is quite logical.

Microsoft has the advantage of partnerships, and has most suppliers on the payroll. One could even suspect that Microsoft had a deal with Intel where the next release of Windows would turn your old computer useless, and you could even add to that suspicion when AMD not Intel started selling 64 bit processors and Windows did not even had support for them while Linux did.

Still you could be right I remember when I had ICQ and suddenly a tidal wave swept over, and within months everyone was using MSN messenger.

Back to the kids who are playing video games, Windows has the edge on video games and that is something that will continue because gaming industries are targeting the masses, and they feel better in a closed source environment.

Before I stray once more from the point, I feel you are wrong in stating that Ubuntu will kill linux.

Ubuntu will hurt debian on the long run, because many debian developers are working with Ubuntu, in that sense Ubuntu could kill Debian (I doubt it).

But linux has something in advantage that Microsoft does not, its open source and there will always be developers either unemployed or with spare time, if they are unemployed linux is a great place to start its free and you can develop for other platforms. If you have spare time its great because since its open source it gives you a great way to learn how things are done, and then do them yourself.

I mean actually using the RAM up (not prefetching). It comes close to starting to use the pagefile. If I were running Vista on my desktop (it only has 1 GB of RAM) had those 3 programs running, and then open something up (Say OpenOffice Writer or Microsoft Word) It’d start using the pagefile.

The OS using the pagefile is fine, if I remember correctly. As long as it does not keep using the pagefile… Or even worse, start thrashing.

When the OS needs to allocate more virtual memory, it moves the rarely used pages in virtual memory to the hard drive. Now if this continues, you have a problem.

You’ve written an interesting article with some good points. There are afew that’s I’d like to talk about:

1> I was under no illusion that Dell would blindly jeopardise their relationship with MS, however, it is a step in the right direction and at the very least we’re no worst off than before (although I believe we’re much better off with OEM installing linux).

2> Vista has created an opportunity for linux, in that those who’ve heard about it (or have friends touting it) are much more inclined to give it a go than shell out for a new pc – I know lots of people who are moveing/ have moved because of vista, and while I moved because I was becoming disenchanted with MS (and other reasons), vista didn’t exactly cause me to look back in pain, if you know what I mean…

3> People are moving, more slowly than many would like, but it takes time to bring down a behemoth like MS… On the up side I don’t see growth slowing down ,and I see more and more money being pumped into development.

4> No one claims that linux would or could be immune to growing pains, however, I don’t see how it would be too badly affected by them. Bluntly, linux is better in almost everyway. It is secure by design (so a larger market share will not lead to a surge in viruses {which would be easily fixed anyeay due to the open source nature} – seriously, have you ever thought about how much of a legend the first hacker to make a actually damaging linux/mac virus would become? Believe me – they’re trying). It’s modular, so when one thing starts to go wrong you can use something else.

But I really don’t see any dramatic problems emerging, especially if you consider that linux is rock-solid now, and will adapt with the growth, I don’t have any worries…

You probably believe that the government made 9/11 since you actually think DELL would actively waste time and resources in a conspiracy.

Then there’s your absurd assumption that a) Market share is the only reason for garbage (which it isn’t) and b) That Linux would ever have as much market share as windows.

Firefox is doing amazingly well with 15% of the share, and so will Linux once it gets ready for the desktop, nobody really wants more. Sorry, but we only want a more customer friendly world, and that requires simply for MS to lose the incredibly over inflated market share it got right now, but there is no need to get that share ourselves, and that won’t happen. Once Linux gets its 15% market share, it will force MS to do the job correctly again, just like what happened with IE7.

Then comes your Vista apology which is just very dumb. Yay, I guess customers love to get sold a beta release of software, but everytime MS does this they add more and more bad memories to users, and those tend to accumulate.

My point is that this has all been a sham. And Linux will be tarnished as a result.

What linux will be tarnished? Ubuntu? Big deal, we have 500 more distros out there…you can’t tarnish them all

The beauty of Linux is there are many faces to it. Stomping out just one will result in nothing.

The question is how fast will it be able to adapt with a growing user base, and in what segment?

Funny part about this is that Linux adapts and overcomes much faster than Microsoft…it’s purely the number of programmers. I mean, take any vulnerability and Linux will patch it faster than MS will…it’s no BS here…there are thousands of programmers working around the clock. That’s true progress. Look at how far the Linux desktop has come just in the past 5 years. Now look at the differences between XP and Vista. Linux has made true progress.

You say Ubuntu Linux? I say that is purely a result of the 60 head paid development and marketing teams they have on staff and Shuttleworth’s money to burn.
Explain the phenomenon of PCLinuxOS…it’s getting set to take over the popularity of Ubuntu on distrowatch.com. No corporate sponsorship there. No marketing teams. Nothing.

Funny part about this is that Linux adapts and overcomes much faster than Microsoft…it’s purely the number of programmers. I mean, take any vulnerability and Linux will patch it faster than MS will…it’s no BS here…there are thousands of programmers working around the clock.

I don’t think you realize what an install base of 1 billion implies for an OS and the issues involved.

From dealing with enterprise customers, 3rd party applications, to every type of demographic, to working with the api, extending the OS, to fixing bugs, to infinity.

Do you actually think Microsoft does not fix bugs in a timely fashion *just because*? They have to test the patches every which way, with every major app, with all the major enterprise customers and their applications, and so much more. Any even then, a single tiny change breaks something.

You have no idea.

And the thousands of programmer working around the clock? Don’t make me laugh. First, you would need to get the GNU/Linux people and parties involved organized into a corporate structure before you could support anything as grand as 1 billion users. I just don’t see that happening, ever.

Explain the phenomenon of PCLinuxOS…it’s getting set to take over the popularity of Ubuntu on distrowatch.com. No corporate sponsorship there. No marketing teams. Nothing

I used Ubuntu as an example, as if I did not, it would have been brought up.

I’m more than aware of PCLinuxOS and have used that in my previous entries to show how users abandon ship for the newest fad. Every 3 years a new darling comes along. [When it was brought up how Ubuntu was saving the world and would displace Microsoft]

Firefox also has its problem and exploits. And will only gain more as the user-base increases and features are added.

Then comes your Vista apology which is just very dumb. Yay, I guess customers love to get sold a beta release of software, but everytime MS does this they add more and more bad memories to users, and those tend to accumulate.

That is how it works unless you believe that it is possible to find all issues and concerns with a modern OS before releasing it into the wild.

And what are you comparing this too? Linux kernel from v0.1 to current? Past versions of GNOME/KDE? Plenty of bad memories here too.

As a *nix admin, I have seen a lot of success of converting our datacenter from HPUX and Solaris to Dell / linux (specifically RedHat). Their server hardware is RH certified so most linux distros will install and you can use the dell hardware monitor tools without issue.

Dell desktop and laptop hardware magically seem to have this quality. I have yet to install any linux distro on a dell desktop and have problems. My beloved 500mhz latitude, which was in the IT discard pile (the windows helpdesk personnel deemed it not salvageable, new hdd is all it needed and not to mention the cpu speed was too slow for the XP minimum requirements to give to the user base). First redhat, then centos, now ubuntu (with fluxbox on all counts) was an excellent solution for me.

Is this a solution for all? Certainly not. Most people would simply do as my helpdesk would have done – purchased a new PC / Laptop with windows already on it. Perhaps your company is “linux friendly” with OWA access (for evolution, not just *buntu lol) and you are an engineering hire (read “power user”) and need a flexible, powerful workstation and can manage your own desktop a linux installed dell *may* be a good solution for you.

I have noticed an interesting trend, in the US windows has become the dominant OS of choice, and the number of US college grads are engineering challenged in math/science/and IT. hmm, makes you wonder, has windows “dumbed down” our technological savvy and forced our hand at outsourcing… tsk, tsk…

“If you just want to browse the internet, sure, desktop Linux is a good replacement if it works on your hardware.”

This is an idiotic statement from a person of your technical background. Use the right tool for the right job. My fileserver, firewall, and print server run linux. Why? they serve the needs for back-end services for my household. Backups? Linux fileserver. Network printer? linux print server. Force LAN to proxy server (read strict content filter)? linux firewall. Forward a DMZ port from my router to internal? no brainer, linux firewall. Want to serve content to internet? LAMP on my linux firewall (yes I know everyone runs P2P on their windows box on broadband – they are malware fodder

Can they do this from their windows? By all means, yes – it helps your salary as a .NET developer 😀 God forbid they have the means and the know how to do it on their own. Some of them may actually search the internets, and if the tubes aren’t full, they will find some way of doing such things. Most likely, some hits will be on *gasp* ubuntuforums.org

Interesting point of view, however IMHO, just as over dramatic as the opposite side of the pool.

In contrast to the 1 billion computers running Microsoft Windows, Linux is more than just a “desktop” platform. The simple fact is that Linux provides the framework for any type of platform, which when combined, continues to spread in it’s uses far and beyond Microsofts reported tally. i.e. desktops, servers, street lights, to the very DVD player you have under your television. If it’s not Linux… it will be.

Will Linux (and it’s plethora of distributions) ever overtake the majority of the worlds desktop? I doubt it. However, that’s not the objective (if only a pleasant hope) of the “majority” of it’s users and contributers.

But every year the Linux user base keeps growing. The free platform gets better with each kernel, distro, and OSS release… and will always be available to an ever increasing tech savvy younger generation of users and IT professionals. A fact that has caused many companies in the global economy, including Microsoft, to cater to this increasing market. i.e. http://www.microsoft.com/opensource/default.mspx

“Linux does not have a secret formula that makes it immune to growing pains.”

Yes it does. It is open source. For each 100 people that use it, 1 gives something back. The developers base increases with the number of users. The more user you get, the more developers you get, the faster linux get developed, the better it becomes, hence you get more users, and therefore more developers, and it gets developed faster, and…. That’s a geometric progression and no company in the world can match that. In fact, as we speak, the pace of development in the Linux world is much faster than anything happening in redmond. Just compare the difference between XP to Vista to the difference between Mandrake 2001 and Ubuntu Feisty…

Also the assumption that the viruses will come with the larger user base is mostly bulloks. Windows was born as a disconnected single-user system and security has been a secondary concern that came up years later. Linux was born as a multiuser, connected system and security has been a primary design goal since day one. There are several designs that make Linux inherently more secure, on top of that it is open source, and having hundreds of thousands of developers on the code is better than having a few dozen eyes (oh yeah MS does have thousands of developers but not everyone at MS is allowed to look at other people code, there is so much you can look at…).

And by the way, Linux today does cater needs that are far more diverse than what windows does. Linux is used in super computers (where it gets a market share of well over 70%…), servers of all types, routers, media boxes, tivo, graphic rendering farms, watches… Not just 386 desktops.

The assumption that Dell needs vista to make money is also wrong. Dell makes money when you double up your memory and add a bigger hard disk. With Ubuntu they sell a system that is $50 cheaper, so what? If people use that money to buy more memory Dell will make profit, and I doubt that margins on memory are lower then the margins on windows…

To finish off, you mention the overblown numbers of Linux users in idea store. Well I see that the Linux/FOSS requests/votes in Idea Storm outnumber ALL other requests probably by 2 to 1. Considering that Dell is a windows shop, that is quite remarkable. So however you want to read those numbers, it’s still a very strong showing.

Aside from the fact that most of your article is opinion, there is little wrong with what you say. Except, from my perspective corporate adoption of Linux – particularly on the server side – is increasing. I am a contract programmer, and my skill-set in Windows has become almost irrelevant, and my skills in Linux are in demand. If I am any measure of the market, Linux is not going away/

of course you are wrong.
Linux is not going to take over the world tomorrow. Who said so? MS is going to be around for another dominating OS after Vista… So? Linux will grow. And

Linux will have growing pains. And I’m awaiting that wonderful day.

But the pains won’t be that bad.

1. One can learn from mistakes others made.
– MS made many
– Distros learn from each other.

2. Distros cater for different markets.
– MS is looking for a one solution that fits the world
– Linux has distros. A distro for the one that thinks a mouse is a foot pedal and a distro for power users. And many more…

3. Dell has a commercial interest. So What.
– Despite your curly and twisted arguments it would be in MS very best interest if Linux wasn’t sold at all, nor talked about.
– There are far far better ways of market research then selling your competitors product through an associate (Dell) and see how well it does… That is really not what’s happening between MS and Dell.

You seem to be of the opinion that Dell would spend a lot of money and effort to just get some publicity and get on the good side of Linux users, but aside from providing numbers relative to people vs. votes on IdeaStorm, I’m at a loss as to why and how would someone try to elaborate on Dell’s “conspiracy” (I know, not your words). Let’s just wait 5 years to see where all this leads instead. Or 10. Or 20.

…

What, you think it’s ridiculous to try and look at the future of computing? Exactly; just let people use whatever OS they want to use, sit back, and enjoy the fireworks. All this is, is just a clever way to get traffic to your blog by means of Fox-News-style sensationalist “reporting” (again, I know this is not a report; it’s just an opinion piece).And no, I don’t make a religion of an Operating System. I just use what works for me, and Linux works great.

This is all just my opinion, without any sort of insider knowledge; much like your blog. Great way to drive traffic here, though.

I agree to this article… but I have one important observation… Linux community is not open to criticism and that is was Linux has less than 1% desktop share (wikipedia). guys, lets be open to criticism and that is the only way to improve linux’s reputation as a desktop product.

I have seen a number of guys trying out ubuntu/fedora etc etc and then going back to microsoft. Although I am a linux user for more than 10 years, still i am unable to convince my wife turn to linux. She thinks its a crappy OS meant for computer nerds and admins. I have to agree with her at times.

About SP-1, right on…. Vista SP-1 will solve all the issues.

Another thing… its just not the user base that is with Windows… MS also has vast developer base that wants to do programming on Windows and find linux quite crappy. Having seen and worked on some really good projects on MS developer studio etc (not talking about pathetic aspx only) i am convinced that MS developer studio is better than any linux/unix IDE/developer studio etc etc.

Yes, security is issue with MS but they are working on it and they accept it… they are not disillusioned.

There is one key issue here that I disagree with and think is utterly wrong, and that is the statement that Linux is not yet ready for the masses and would go through the same growing pains as Microsoft.

Microsoft did not adapt to the users, the users adapted to Microsoft, it is that simple.

When you compare the current Windows desktop features with those of the Linux desktop, there are very few areas where Windows is intrinsically better than Linux. And improvements are made daily.

There seems to be a willingness with an undeniably increasing number of users to abandon Microsoft for something else. Government bodies throughout the world are leaning towards the use of open standards (Spain, Holland, Germany, Norway). Big deals of Linux desktop implementation have been made (Peugeot, French parliament, Munich, Vienna). The list is endless.

In the end, the DellBuntu deal is just a minor detail in the bigger scheme of things. It may or may not fail, but it will certainly not be nor the life saver nor the stab to death for Linux.

When Dell first came out with Linux, I wrote an article in the Rochester Computer Society Inc. newsletter found at RCSI.org. I also thought that Dell was trying to blacken the name of Linux. They had several lines warning people that this was not Microsoft Windows. They called it “Open Source.” Why did not they just call it Linux? We did not include the multimedia codecs. If you tried to follow their instructions, you could not install those codecs. They greatly overcharged for the system. You could run Linux on a $350 machine it would run as fast as their $800 Windoze machine.
However, it has helped to increase the visibility of Linux. What we really need, in my opinion, is for a large network of stores, i.e. Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc. to sell a complete, fully working with codecs, Linux system for about $350. If this ever happens, watch out! Especially, when the public finds out that they can have Microsoft equivalents software for free.

I think theres a couple of points been missed. The world waited years for the release of Vista . Has the richest software company ( MS) sold us a piece of crap ( again)? yes ! With their resources and wealth you’d expect a better quality product. Rather than having to wait for a service pack ( a concept universally accepted in the mean time. which in itself is ridiculos).
Do we need all the flash and gadgets that vista brings…of course not. Do they make us and our PC’s any more productive …nope!

Linux gives us a free alternative! Yes there are a few quirks, but they are no more difficult to solve than the hundreds of vista issues. We are more tolerant because it was free and there is a far more responsive community out there offering genuine support …not some MS helpdesk numpty that can’t help because the OS is fundamentaly flawed.

Having messed around with linux a bit over the years i’ve recently installed Ubuntu desktop. It works straight away !!!!!!!!!! 95% of my daily PC tasks can be done immediately. Email, web, open office, PDF etc etc all free all working and all without have to upgarde my hardware to get even the OS running.
Why on earth we still put up with MS is beyond me.

Its about having a choice. The 1 Billion people that use Windows do not know that they have a choice for their PC Hardware. Sure Apple is there and they know that they can buy an apple, but most people can not afford apple. So they feel that their only choice is Windows! It sounds as if you have also been brain washed by having windows as your only operating system.

Sit back and do 1 thing: ASK YOURSELF WHAT DO YOU USE YOUR COMPUTER FOR? When you answer the question for example “write BS blog messages”, then your understand that you do not need more than a web browser. You don’t need IE, firefox will do, and when you understand that using IE causes security issues why use it? Because it came installed on your computer? I feel sorry for all the people that do not understand that they can use their computers for what they want, and not what Micro$soft and Apple tell them to do!

admin – I remember you had a similar post before. Same bullying Linux and same huge amount of time spending on it.
You said:
“If you just want to browse the internet, sure, desktop Linux is a good replacement if it works on your hardware.”
My response is you really need to take a closer look at Linux, cause it goes far beyond “just browsing the internet”, I use it for creating sites and Java Desktop applications, rendering Movies (from DVD to .mpeg4), and other tasks which would take rather long to mention – all of them are qualitative and free, and you call that “just browsing the internet” ??
Are you really that narrow-minded?
Do you know that Linux has successfully started displacing the phone OSes and it’s at the heart of Play Station 3 and a lot of devices you use every day??
It’s also freedom – Vista prohibits me to try and fix it if something goes wrong – it is written write in the Vista EULA (End User Agreement), now compare that with Linux, thus what else d’u get with Linux? – FREEDOM.

Another misconception here is the notion that somehow Microsoft is refusing to improve it’s products. Which is pure BS.

IIS v6 over v5 was a quantum leap in security.

IE is being refined. Add another 900 million users to Firefox, and it will be unusable.

.NET initiative is huge.

IDEs and UI are improving, and most have been better than the Linux counterparts from the start.

Vista is a complete rewrite and after the bugs are worked out, WILL be the next OS of choice.

Windows 2003 Server and up are taking the server initiative.

And so on and on.

Microsoft is not composed of idiots that do not know what they are doing. Hard work and persistence is driving them constantly to improve. Now who is going to do the tedious and boring work that is required for progress in the Linux?

How about the bare basics? Care to write well formed Documentation?

We have good kernel dev [thanks to corporate sponsorship], but the rest is questionable.

Dell put up a website to see what customers wanted. A simple idea. The number one request was to see GNU/Linux preinstalled on Dell
computers. As a company, they weighed their options and decided to sell Dell’s with Ubuntu pre-loaded.

I own a small company. If I asked my clients what they would like to see me offer, and the majority of respondents said “product x”,
I would consider the cost to offer “product x”. If the cost was reasonable, I would offer it. The main reason is to keep my customers
happy. A happy customer is a returning customer.

I truly think it is that simple.

If you polled 1000 computer savvy consumers, what percentage would even know about the ideastorm site? I bet it would be less than 1%. The people at Dell surely recognize that only the most vocal will vote. Keep the loudest users happy and you get goodwill advertising.
Goodwill or “word of mouth” advertising is the absolute best type of advertising.

Microsoft thinks they can shove a DRM laden and poorly performing OS (Vista) down people’s throats they are crazy! People are aware of this. I getting the message out daily and many people are considering Ubuntu Linux as their primary operating system. I am doing damage to MS- ONE PERSON AT A TIME showing people a performance oriented Ubuntu Linux that has all the quality computing experience most users need. I live in China and people are listening, it is becoming my main focus. They are tired of using an insecure XP OS -that isn’t/can’t be updated. Microsoft enjoys hooking honest people on counterfeit software to hold off Linux. Linux will make a large dent here soon for sure. Some ASUS Laptops are starting to say ‘made for Linux’ The internet will become the computer anyway and Linux is perfect for that.

What choice do they have? It’s the content providers that are demanding DRM, and the users demanding the content. Lets not pretend that somehow Linux has a legitimate solution for this. No one does. You have to play ball with the copyright holders.

Linux is slow, buggy, unstable and unsecure peace of shit and will never be serious threat to Windows, so give me a break an weak up all you OSS fetishists.

After 2 years of suffering with your “precious” linux have i switched back to by Windows XP and as Mr. Sting sings “…i’m so happy i can’t stop crying…”
I have learned meny things, used Suse 10.0, 10.1, 10.3, Ubuntu 5.10, 6.06, 6.10 and 7.04 but never again. Windows is simply buch better in many ways in terms of stability, speed, usability and yes, security.

Do you really think Microsoft is going to try and strong-arm Dell with anti-trust fear still strong in the air? In case you haven’t heard, there is a presidential election in 15 months and who knows how Microsoft friendly a new administration might or might not be. You can expect Microsoft to be on good behavior until it is clear they own the next president the way they did Bush.

Ubuntu is a user focused distribution with deep pockets. Expect it to get better and better each year. OpenOffice has broken down the barriers for many people to run Ubuntu and do most everything they need.

I would like to say that there really should be no competition between Linux and MS. They are two different OS’s and they appeal to users for different reasons.

I will say, and I am backed by the courts here, MS did not accomplish their sweeping majority dominance of the market simply by putting out a great product. In fact, they have been shown to use both illegal and unethical practices to prevent competition and to thwart outside development.

The very fact that you suggest they would ship software that they know is faulty as though it were a finished product to me shows they still have no qualms about treating users poorly and have no real commitment to quality, just a constant push to create revenue and new revenue opportunities.

that’s like an auto maker selling a car with an engine that only works part of the time selling it at full price and then telling buyers don’t worry, you can buy our next version of the junkerXL, it will start 75% of the time instead of only 50% as it does now.

People woaway from that product in droves.

The differencr between autos and software is that there are more people willing and able to learn about the product considering the significant expense.

They do not look at software the same way because many don’t fully “get” the way it works. Not because they can’t, but because they don’t want to have to become a programmer or tech just to figure it out.

so, they just read the pres and reviews, (written and paid for by MS) and hope that it all works out.

What it comes down to is that Linux will be what it will be. an OS that is growing and developing without much corporate expense and investment. That will cause it to take a bit longer to bring things about.

Want an OS that doesn’t require an activation key, doesn’t require anti-spyware, anti-virus and a yearly reinstall to clean the cruft? Want an OS that runs fine on 512 megs of RAM? Try Ubuntu. The peace of mind is priceless.

“Another misconception here is the notion that somehow Microsoft is refusing to improve it’s products. Which is pure BS.”
Are you sure? We get IE7 after being in bed for five YEARS with IE6, same thing about the OS, from 2001 till 2007 – SIX years to develop a slow performance, incompatible and user-hostile-through-DRM-technology OS: Vista. Even if you dare to call it improvement – it’s obviously sooo slowly happening.

IIS v6 – what can you do if something is wrong with it? On how many architectures can you run it?
Windows Server 2003 – so much improvement? can it run without GUI? More robust than Linux? Cheaper? Better documented? – the answer is an overall NO. You’re doing fine recognizing Linux on the server side is a so much smarter solution.

“.NET initiative is huge.” – how much faster did it get? .NET only runs on windows and Linux (on Linux it runs a lot more slowly, guess why?), a NET developer told me there’s little difference between net v2 and v3. BTW he chose to move to Java and I’m helping him on that. He also starts to embrace Ubuntu Linux.

“Microsoft is not composed of idiots” – of course, but I wouldn’t say so thinking about Ballmer.

“We have good kernel dev [thanks to corporate sponsorship], but the rest is questionable.” – everything and everywhere is questionable, even in windows. Ubuntu makes huge steps twice a year, 7.10 is a big step forward in both, usability and performance – since 2005 it always happens twice a year. Dare to say that about Vista!

xlinuks, I’m not sure what to say to someone that has made up their mind so completely…

Your point with IIS being tied to Windows is…?

And the better Documentation statement is downright false… A lot of the open-source/GPL projects have docs that are either non-existent or completely unusable. Sure, there are good ones out there, but I repeat myself, no one wants to write documentation: it’s a thankless and boring job.

I will though end with the statement that competition *is* a driving force that forces one to get the gears re-greased.

I would like to say that there really should be no competition between Linux and MS. They are two different OS’s and they appeal to users for different reasons.

Wise words.

The very fact that you suggest they would ship software that they know is faulty as though it were a finished product to me shows they still have no qualms about treating users poorly and have no real commitment to quality, just a constant push to create revenue and new revenue opportunities.

1) This is the nature of any major/complex system or product. It is not possible to work it all out without releasing it into the wild.

2) And what exactly has Linux been putting out since day one, release after release? A stellar product with no issues?

I’d been using Windows since version 2.0 (1988). After 13 years, I switched to Linux in 2001. I had become so frustrated at the limitations and lack of support. Yes – the lack of support for Windows! I would call tech support and their response always ended up being reboot and if that fails, re-install.

Imagine if your car mechanic said that to fix your car, you should try stopping the engine and restarting it. If that doesn’t work, buy a new car.

My wife and I switched to Linux (first Red Hat, now Fedora), and we’ve been happy ever since. Windows is like some addictive drug that keeps people dazed and too confused to understand there are other, better choices.

When I read that people think Linux isn’t ready – in 2007 – I have to laugh! It was was ready in 2001, but people were afraid to see the truth; they still are.

Ubuntu/Linux can be use to perform the same tasks you would on windows and without crashing, let’s see I do web development,graphic design,Use Open Office,video editing and play some games all of which can be done on a windows desktop not on a server. So which one of these tasks can’t be done on Ubuntu/Linux. Listen I understand that this is your opinion but seriously trying to say that linux will not see much progress and the “Conspiracy Theory” you provided about Dell/Microsoft is so flawed.

Also people don’t know about Linux because about 50% don’t know what OS they are using it’s all the same to them, sure you an I do but AVG user not at all. People don’t know it is out there I, yes I use to be one of those people until one day I got fed up with wasting my hard earn money and did some research and guess what I have been a happy camper ever since using Ubuntu/Linux.

MS is just like the Tobacco industry all Lies. So I think things will change and Linux will be the victorious in the end, not today not tomorrow but someday. You wait and see, but keep writing these articles as it is good for Linux!

It is such an under-appreciated force that it will sneak up on all of us eventually anyway. It will eventually be ubuquitous whether it is marketed or not, whether it is included pre-installed on computers or not. It is like a mid-ocean wave. It will just roll along slowly until it passes you by without you even noticing.

My son is a 13 year old 8th grade student. He has only been taught on MS products: Internet Explorer, Windows, Word, Power Point, Excel, etc. He and his friends have no idea that there are alternatives like Linux and OpenOffice.org. Our children are being trained to be MS consumers.

Good point on McDonald’s, Admin! You know, I started to like you. Are you the one who posted the blog on “Ubuntu’s death rattle”? It was quite funny! Then this post:). At first I thought you probably have no clue what you are talking about. That still may be true…. or maybe you are just secretly provoking us into heated debates to add publicity for linux. There is really no better way to create such a huge activity on the post like this except with controversial statements, twisted reasonings, occasionally logical replies to keep everyone thinking that they talk to a credible person. In no way I want to offend you here. You are helping linux enormously. This is so great to find a blog like this on .NET website full of Ubuntu propaganda. Keep up the great job, Admin.

Your Admirer.

PS: If you are really addicted to M$ and truly believe in what you say, don’t worry, Windows is not completely useless. Don’t listen to all these mean people, things will be ok.

Among other noteworthy and memorable entries… All of which can be found under the Ubuntu and Dell tags of this blog.

In no way I want to offend you here.

There is nothing for me to take offense to here, just opinions, furor, and zealotry.

This is so great to find a blog like this on .NET website full of Ubuntu propaganda. Keep up the great job, Admin.

I might have to give it a rest for a while, it does seems like all my latest entries are Ubuntu this, Ubuntu that…

The other day I started writing an entry on Canonical’s business model, but had to stop myself short.

I’ll write a piece called [Edited out: don’t want to blow anyone’s top off, before I’ve had a chance to work on it] later on. There are a couple of loopholes in it I’d like to explore, or at least clarify for some. It’s on my todo list. It should be a popular one, and will give me a breather from Ubuntu…

I’ve been a Windows user for 11 years, and I just recently made the switch to Ubuntu. I’d tried some Linux distro’s on live cd’s before, but never committed to a permanent install, but it’s one of the most overwhelmingly liberating feelings I’ve ever known.

I’ve followed Vista development closely, and I was really excited for it until I learned it catered to the system and not the user. I personally haven’t seen a Vista installation yet that wasn’t broken (though working in computer repair I see everything broken :)), and the worst feeling is telling someone that it can’t be fixed without future patches from Microsoft. Many people are turned onto Linux simply because it’s free in every way. When I tell someone I can order them another copy of Vista or XP, or that I can put Linux on it for free, they always ask about Linux. It may take a little time to show them more advanced features, but anyone who can use Windows can pick up Ubuntu and make it work. And a vast majority of consumers use their computers for exactly what you describe: email, web browsing, maybe watching some movies or listening to music.

My friends and I have even been accepting old “retired” computers and installing distros like Damn Small and Puppy on them to give to people who can’t afford computers. I hate having to see that face people make when I tell them how much a Windows license costs that they obviously can’t afford.

Your mostly wrong mr. anon blogger. Like all such blogs of this nature, its FUD. Your largest mistake first and foremost is to think that most folks in the Linux world actually care about these types of things. Linux is not, nor has it ever been (Ubuntu bug #1 aside), designed to take over M$ market share. Ubuntu and a small other number of distro’s do try to cater more to the newbs but im sure they wont throw in the proverbial towell if they somehow dont convert some old Windows user into a full time Linux geek. Its all relative. Linux/Open Source does not have to worry about the things that M$ does when it comes to marketing or language barriers because everything is community driven/contributed.. Need application X translated?.. Cool, do it yourself and patch the fix!

Wether or not Dell succeeds and turns a tidy profit on its Linux PC’s largely will no zero effect on the Open Source world other than to maybe have some new Linux converts, which is not necessarily a bad thing. They will be forced to learn Linux (exactly as all us Linux geeks did), and they will either love it or leave it. Makes no difference to us thanks!

I agree that Linux should not be pushed into the direction of directly competing with Windows for the desktop market share. Keep it where it serves a purpose, server-side. As the outcome *will* result with Linux turning into Windows, with all the problems associated.

I have also made the argument that the development of Linux is a result of corporate interests and sponsorship, and has little to do with the desktop community. Directly in contrast with the illusion that most will have you believe.

But we are still stuck with Ubuntu-and-friends pressure group that screams and shouts for me, you, and everyone else to replace Windows with Linux, every single day… With little or no concern for the actual need, feasibility, and end-result of this task. They are vast in numbers, very vocal, have a herd like mentality, and do more damage to GNU/Linux every day then anyone/anything else.

You’re wrong.
Bankrupcies start with cent losses, battles are lost due to little things. Linux was difficult to install, now it’s not. It had poor appearance, not any more. There was no major OEM that sold pre-installed Linux, now this little obstacle is eliminated.

I don’t want Linux to be the only OS, but I do want choice.
You live in a country where monopolies are not so common, so probably you don’t understand the danger of monopolization of a market.
I do, I have suffered from monopolies and can stress that for you – MONOPOLY = BAD!

This smacks of Tabloid Writing such as the Enquirer. Of course Linux will get a bad rap in the Windows world just yet. Linux PC’s are trying to overcome a large hurdle, but from what I’ve seen the Linux Distro’s works better out of the box than Microsoft Vista even though Microsoft has been in the PC market for years.

Migrated my Pcs and laptop to Ubuntu. Almost got it working. Now, since I needed a usable PC, with programs that worked, I am back with Windows! No regrets! It was a fun journey into something new, but after my accountant pointed out I made 10x the money moving companies back to Windows, I woke up. Still have Ubuntu on a old HP, for the old times. Linuz is making the same mistakes that early computers companies made. Too many Distos, and no one of them can do what Windows does. It just works, out of the box. After 15 years in the computer business, I don’t thinl we will see Linux threatening Windows in my lifetime.

In the rapidly evolving age of web applications, the dependency on a particular OS reduces due to the fact that your average Joe will have access to their applications regardless of the OS. Nonetheless, there will still be platform specific applications i.e. your majority of games developed specifically for Windows. But as you say, most of the money is made through B2B opportunities, not B2C.

The main deterrent preventing Windows users switching to Linux is most probably the possible complications that arise if your average home user has to deal with command line jargon, which will most definitely confuse the majority of them.

But as far as I can see, Ubuntu is working it’s way to fix that. Many of the operations and configurations will still remain in command line for now, but Ubuntu seems to be making strides in its attempts to make it the OS “just work”. You cannot deny that Ubuntu has made a multitude of things that were once nearly impossible for the average user, now a simple point-and-click task. Plus with the new Compiz-Fusion addition to 7.10, the visuals definitely bumped up a few notches

Only time will tell if Ubuntu becomes instated as the Linux desktop for Windows users. In my opinion, looking at Ubuntu from a usability standpoint, “it just works”.

Oh lawd, are you serious? Does that count all the times people have had to reinstall, or taken off Windows to try Linux then get back on Windows, thin clients, virtual machines…? Jesus Christ man, pull it together!

While searching for a faster more streamlined operating system than Vista, I discovered Linux. I must have tried 30 different versions, as Linux is available in all shapes and sizes.
Choosing just one is difficult. There are so many wonderful distributions out there for various needs… Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, Mint, Open Suse, Puppy, Freespire, GOS, Simply Mepis, Debian, Fedora, Mandriva, and on and on!! How much choice do you have as a Windows user? (Laugh!) After much experimentation, I finally chose Ubuntu. For a couple of reasons: it’s vast support community (and in depth wiki) and its regular release schedule.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Windows, especially Xp. But what real improvements does Vista offer over Xp? And why would I ever buy Vista (or a Vista PC) when Ubuntu does everything Windows does minus the viruses, spyware, security issues, and cost?
There’s a misconception that Linux users don’t get viruses because it has a smaller user base. Not true. Linux stays spyware and virus free due to it’s structure. Package Managers and the need for a root password before installing programs makes security hassle and worry free. I don’t worry about the kids installing stuff on my computer without my permission.
And I can’t tell you the freedom I feel as a Linux user to never again worry about losing or damaging my install discs, (as Windows only allows its users to make one copy of their install discs), or worry about losing a product key, or it not working if I choose to install a new hard drive in my computer.
With Linux, I can make as many back up discs as I want. No product key needed, ever! And, as it is Open Source I am allowed, even encouraged to tweak my linux system in any way I see fit! With Linux your options are limitless, whereas the Windows EULA will trip you up every time. Windows is full of “cant’s.” Linux is full of “cans.” Linux users live by their own decisions unencumbered by EULA telling you what you can’t do.
I once too was a Windows only user. I thought Linux was a command-line Operating System, like DOS or something. HA! Boy have times changed! Don’t let ignorance fool you into thinking Linux isn’t just as good as Windows and in many ways better.
Windows isn’t a bad product. It just isn’t necessary. The best thing windows has going for it is it’s users ignorance of other choices and general inertia to keep blindly using their product. I used to be one of those people. Blissfully ignorant. Asleep at the wheel. But knowledge is power. Now I am in the driver’s seat. Alert, awake, and free to take my Operating System anywhere I desire to go. Freedom is priceless.